Friday, April 22, 2016

The Big Bike Ride

April 20, 2016. We put our bikes into the back of our 2015 Ford F 250 diesel truck. It is our tow vehicle for Vilia and also our jack of all trades transportation. We are at The Grand Canyon. The park has trails that run across the South Rim. Sections of these are paved and for biking as well as hiking. My goodness...have I ever been on a more wonderful bike ride? We originally thought we would just do the run from the visitor center north to Yaki Point, about a 6 mile round trip. The day was spectacular, the ride was sensational. As we finished our loop, we were enthused, and agreed to keep on going. So we cruised the mostly downhill bike trail from the visitor center to the base of Hermit Road, in the other direction of the park, where it is bikes and shuttle buses only. And we started this journey, which was all severely uphill for the first leg. We made that and said we'll take the bus to Hermit's Rest, the end spot of this loop of the South Rim, and then cruise downhill back to the "bottom" where it seemed we had started. The park shuttles have those load your own bike racks on the front and we did that and took the somewhat tedious, stops everywhere, bus ride to get to Hermit's. We get to Hermit's and it is spectacular. It is the Grand Canyon in all its glory of depth, tranquility and rich color. The green Colorado River is within sight, the force that made this whole thing. Erosion at its finest. We ride our bikes along the path and quickly realize we have been bamboozled. This ain't downhill! It is mostly uphill! The views of the canyon help as we peddle in lowest gear along, stopping often for the beyond description panoramas.
How what seemed to be mostly downhill became mostly uphill boggles our minds. But we grinded onward. Biking along the edge of this Grand Canyon gives you resource. In all, we did a bit more than 25 miles this day. We awaited pain the next day but it did not happen. I think it might have been the 100 bottles of beer on the wall that awaited us at the end.
The Grand Canyon was not on our original travel plans as we have been there times before, especially during our life in Denver in the 70's. But we were going to be so close in this leg of Vilia Adventures that we made it happen. So glad.It is an amazing place and of such a pacifying grandeur in its majesty. It sings of a Higher Power at work.